The Weeknd Shares an Important Life Lesson as He's Honoured For His Humanitarian Efforts

It’s The Weeknd’s world and we’re just living in it. Ahead of the release of his Showtime documentary, fittingly titled The Show, the 31-year-old musician was honoured at the 2021 Music in Action Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 23. The Weeknd received the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award for continually using his platform to “call attention to racial and social injustice and raise awareness globally.”

During his speech, The Weeknd got a little emotional as reflected on the first time he met Quincy Jones. “I actually first met Quincy Jones in Vegas a long time ago,” The Weeknd recalled. “He pulled up to one of my club shows, and when I got off stage, he was waiting on the side. I was so excited to meet him, and there were fans on the other side screaming and trying to get my attention, but I was so focused on him. . . . [Quincy] said, ‘Go take pictures, sign autographs, and I’ll still be here waiting. They’re just more important.’ And it stuck with me until this day. He was teaching me a lesson in that moment that nothing is more important than the people, and giving back is always better than receiving.”

The Weeknd has been everywhere lately. In addition to the recent honor, his documentary – which gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his Super Bowl halftime show performance – premiered on Sept. 24, he’s currently gearing up to drop his fifth studio album, and he has a new HBO series on the way. Seriously, is there anything The Weeknd can’t do?